We Demand a Referendum Now MEP Nikki Sinclaire has spoken of
her sadness on hearing the news that library services are set to be cut in
Wolverhampton in a drive to save money at Wolverhampton Council.
Some libraries in the city will be reduced to just self-service
machines with others staffed as little as 15 hours a week. Cuts have to be made after the Council discovered
they were £25 million worse off than they originally thought.
Many of the library cuts are in some of the most deprived
places,
Nikki said,
“Growing up on a Council estate, the library was my place of
solitude. As a child I devoured books, and have many happy memories of spending
hours in my local library, expanding my knowledge and enjoying escaping to the
worlds hidden within the pages.
Libraries aren’t only about books. They can be places for
quiet reflection. In these modern times, they can be a place to access the
internet or local services.
What are we saying to these children and young people,
living in deprived areas, when we take away vital public services such as
libraries? Surely we need to look at making libraries multi-use to ensure they
can be of use to as many people as possible.
The thought of any child without access to a library makes
me very sad indeed and I would urge a re-think or perhaps to explore other ways
we can use libraries to make sure they are used to their full potential”.